New JERSEY MetroStars renamed New YORK Red Bulls

[NJPRIDE]

Here we go again , the Metrostars were sold to a foreign company and will be called the new york redbull while playing in N.J. I have started calling my state assemblyman and representative and voiced my opinion ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ! Call you reps and tell them DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN ! The redbulls management said they will be called ny because its better for bussiness .

[NOTE: I felt that this news was big enough for it's own thread and was moved from the NJ Team Names thread.

- JD

[JerseyDevil]

Here we go again , the Metrostars were sold to a foreign company and will be called the new york redbull while playing in N.J.

You have got to be joking! This is ridiculous. They dropped NY from their name a while ago and have been known as just the MetroStars, they're even getting a new stadium in New JERSEY! Where did you hear about this? I'm going to write the company.

[edit]Ahh I see they already have their new name up on their website. MetroStars Well this will be another team tht gets taken off the AboutNewJersey.com site because they have turned their back on New Jersey.

[JerseyDevil]

Follow-up - I have called the MetroStars aka NY Redbulls - who I will just refer to as turncoats. I am waiting for a call back. Anyone interested in stating their displeasure - have everyone you know call them at (201)583-7000.

I also just called NJSEA and talked to Bernard Spigner who told me that NJSEA has made a strong statement speaking out against the name change.

Here is the press release he told me about...

March 9, 2006


The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has enjoyed a good working relationship with the MetroStars for ten years. I look forward to working with the “new” team and helping them achieve greater success at the Meadowlands.

However, we are not happy with their announcement that their new name is Red Bull New York. Their home stadium is a New Jersey landmark, and it is an insult to us for them to remove the name of the state. We strongly object to this lack of respect for the State of New Jersey. I have reached out to the team and Major League Soccer and told them of our displeasure.

I have spoken to our local and state representatives, as well as the Governors office. A new stadium will soon be built for the team in Harrison New Jersey. How should the taxpayers of Hudson County feel when they learn that the team will not have the name “New Jersey” on
their uniform?

I am certain that between the team, the league, and the NJSEA… we will be able to reach an accord where all parties are pleased. I am committed to reaching that accord as soon as possible.


George R. Zoffinger
President and Chief Executive Officer

If they do NOT wear NJ on their uniforms they should go across the river where they would rather be. I told that too, and stated that many New Jerseyans feel the same way. We are getting fed up with this. Bernard said he agreed and that the NJSEA has made the same statement.

I am stating right now, as a New JERSEY tourism site, if hte team has anything on their uniforms that remotely suggests they are a NY team or their name reflects this, they wil NOT be listed on AboutNewJersey.com.

It's time New Jerseyans took a stand - if we boycott their games, they will soon realize that their name change was a BAD business decision. Not enough New Yorkers are going to come to Harrison to see a game - they don't have the "loyal" NY following that the Giants and Jets have. They can get away with it - but the MetroStars in my opinion would not be able to lose their New Jersey support.

[JerseyDevil]

Third post on this - I've just called the governors office on this. You can call Governor Corzine at - 609-292-6000.

We need to get a letter campaign and calling campaign going. This is the final straw with NJ teams turning their back on us. First the Giants and Jets and now the MetroStars.

[Edit]

This is who I have called on the matter...

NJSEA
Bernard Spigner
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
Director of Communications & External Affairs
Public Affairs Office
50 State Route 120
East Rutherford, NJ 07073
bspigner@njsea.com
(201)935-8500

MetroStars aka NY Redbulls
One Harmon Plaza; Third Floor; Secaucus, NJ, 07094 (201) 583-7000

Governor Corzine
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000

District 14
Senator Peter Inverso
3691A Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690 (609)-586-1330

Assemblyman Bill Baroni
2239 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Suite E, Hamilton, NJ 08619 (609)-631-9988

Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein
7 Centre Dr., Suite 2, Monroe, NJ 08831-1565 (609)-395-9911

District 15
Senator Shirley Turner
1440 Pennington Rd., 1st Floor, Ewing, NJ 08618 (609)-530-3277

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora
226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608 (609)-292-0500

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608 (609)-292-0500

In addition to making the calls today, I will be following up with letters. Since I just moved to trenton, I felt I could state my opinions to both the people who represented me and who I voted for, as well as people who I will be voting for or against in future elections.

This is a state issue, so I think as an owner of a NJ website which promotes NJ pride and NJ Tourism, that I actually should call all of the members of the legislature.

[EDIT again

I called District 32, which represents Harrison where the MetroStars are moving to.

Senator Nicholas Sacco (left message)
9060 Palisade Ave., North Bergen, NJ 07047 (201)-295-0200

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (left message)
1249 Paterson Plank Rd., Secaucus, NJ 07094 (201)-770-1303

Assemblywoman Joan Quigley
The Hamilton Park Foundry, 242 Tenth Street, Suite 101 , Jersey City, NJ 07302 (201)-217-4614

[JerseyDevil]

I just called up the District 1 legislators. In particular I wanted to let Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew know - he's a real promoter of NJ Tourism and NJ Pride and I wanted to ask him to support the northern representatives against the MetroStars name change.

So I have now also called -

Senator Nicholas Asselta
Main Tree Commons, 1450 East Chestnut Avenue, Building 1, Suite B, Vineland, NJ 08361 (856)-691-3004

Assemblyman Nelson Albano
223 East Main Street, Millville, NJ 08332 (856)-293-8353

Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew
223 East Main Street, Millville, NJ 08332 (856)-293-8353

I got a call back twice from one of the representatives I had called earlier. They said that the legislators in the district wanted to put out a statement first, but there is movement in the assembly to write up a bill against the name change. I will be keeping tabs on this. Many who I have talked to have stated their outrage at this, while only a few indicated "well I don't see what can be done or if it matters".

[JerseyDevil]

I just called Assemblyman Richard Mertck's office and left a message. he proposed Resolution 152 to change the name of Giants Stadium when the Giants had the nerve to slap NY back on their uniforms. I wanted to get some idea of his thoughts on the issue with this MetroStars change.

[NJPRIDE]

I am with you DEVIL I started the calling last night . It was about 10:00 so I had to leave messages . Got home from work today and called The Gov , Guy Gregg District 24 , Rodney Frelinghuysen , and Frank Lautenberg . I tried calling the team but it must have been to late , no answer and no answering machine pickup . I am not done yet as Chief Joesph said " I have not yet begun to fight " The teams GM said using new york is better for business . This nucklehead went to Rutgers and played soccer there . In todays Star Ledger one of the headlines on the front page of the sports said JERSEY OFFICIALS SEE RED . It went on to say basically over our dead bodies will N.J. not be used in the teams name . And being called strictly a n.y. team is not acceptable . George Zoffinger said he would try to block red bulls rights to use giants stadium unless New Jersey was a part of the new name . GO GEORGE GO !

[JerseyDevil]

I sent in a letter to the Star Ledger tonight and I will send it to other newspapers too.

Here we go again. Not only was it not enough for the Giants and Jets to stab New Jersey in the back, now we have the MetroStars’ knife firmly in our back also. To say that I am outraged by the recent decision to rename the New Jersey MetroStars to the New YORK Red Bulls is an understatement. It is even more of an outrage that our tax dollars, 85 million, are being used to build them a stadium in Harrison NJ. Is this how New Jersey gets repaid? I say they can take their name and shove it! Let them find a stadium in NY to play, and while they’re at it, they can take the Giants and Jets with them too. We don’t need these ungrateful teams taking up space in New Jersey.

New Jersey and our politicians should stand up to these teams once and for all. I refuse to attend a Giants, Jets and now a New YORK Red Bulls game until they remove the ridiculous NY from their uniforms and names.

If New Jerseyans have any sense of pride and self-respect – they will stand with me and the many other New Jerseyans who feel the same way. How many other teams are we going to allow to play in New Jersey while they stick their nose up and say “New Jersey? Oh we just play there, but we’d rather be in New York.”? How many more press conferences do we have to see with some NJ sports franchise saying “we are very proud to call New Jersey home, blah, blah, blah”, while behind them a banner is plastered with NY? I say this is the last straw and NJ should tell them not to let the door hit them on the way out.

I am serious - this is the final straw here. If New Jerseyans and MetroStar fans just sit back, then I have no idea what will make New Jerseyans show some self-respect and stop letting the state get kicked around. I am frankly fed up at this moment. I want some action on this. I don't want lip service - I don't want some politician telling me - "well we get money from them" As I told someone who said that today to me - so we just sell NJ to the highest bidder?

[JerseyDevil]

Well this was on a Malaysian news site - it's AP so of course it's going to be all over the place - but I guess since it's the day time there in malaysia this is what will be in the news tonight. It shows that thankfully our politicians seem to be taking a very hard stand against the name change - now I think it's time to put pressure on the team itself.

New Jersey officials seeing red over soccer team name change

HARRISON, New Jersey (AP) - Red Bull's purchase of Major League Soccer's MetroStars is causing a stir in the state of New Jersey.

The team wants to be known as Red Bull New York, effectively disassociating itself from the Garden State across the Hudson River, and that's not sitting well with state officials.

One is even threatening to boot the team from Giants Stadium, where it will play until a new stadium in Harrison is ready in 2008.

"Their new name may be Red Bull New York, but striking New Jersey from their name seems to be a different kind of bull altogether,'' said Brendan Gilfillan, a spokesman for Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

"This is a team that sells its products in New Jersey, draws its fan base from New Jersey and receives funding from New Jersey.''

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg also urged Red Bull to reconsider in a letter sent Friday. "Certainly you can ask your team's president and general manager, Alexi Lalas, himself a graduate of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, about the importance of 'Jersey Pride,''' Lautenberg wrote.

In fact, however, the MetroStars have not officially had New Jersey as part of their team name for several years.

The team originally was known as the New York-New Jersey MetroStars, but the previous owners decided to streamline things by dropping the clumsy "New York-New Jersey'' part prior to the 2003 season.

Lalas said Friday that the latest name change is not a slight against New Jersey.

He said Austrian-based Red Bull, maker of the energy drink, is an international business, and New York is a better-known name than New Jersey.

"There are companies all over the world that recognize this point about New York,'' Lalas said. "Other teams that play in Giants Stadium also reflect this.''

The reference to the New York Giants and New York Jets isn't relevant, said George Zoffinger, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority - the state government entity that runs Giants Stadium.

Zoffinger threatened to kick out the team, which has played at the Meadowlands sports complex through its 10-year existence.

"They will not play in our stadium unless they have New Jersey in their name,'' he said.

State legislators are also gearing up for a fight. On Friday, two Assembly members announced they are crafting legislation to pressure the team's owners "to give New Jersey the respect and courtesy'' by including the state's name.

One comment on this article I want to make - who cares that Red Bull is an international company or that more people in the world know about NY - they aren't an INTERNATIONAL team - they are a NEW JERSEY team. If he wants a NY team - then move them the hell to NY.

New Jerseyans should boycott Red Bull beer also. I don't recommend pouring it in the street though - because that requires buying it. Red Bull or any company can pretty much care less if you BUY their product and pour down the drain or burn it - all they want is the money. Sort of defeats the purpose if you just put money into their pockets.

[JerseyDevil]

This is an article from the Star Ledger...

Jersey officials see Red over name change
Friday, March 10, 2006
BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN
Star-Ledger Staff

The Giants decided to go back to the "NY" logo on their helmets. The Jets have never entertained the idea of putting New Jersey in their name. And every telecast from the Meadowlands seems to start with a shot of the Manhattan skyline.

Now the New York/New Jersey MetroStars have been bought by Red Bull, and the energy drink company says it will call the club "Red Bull New York."

After hearing that, New Jersey officials say they are sick and tired and aren't going to take it anymore, especially since Red Bull New York plans to pursue a stadium project in Harrison that will be financed with $85 million in public money.

George Zoffinger, chief executive of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operates Giants Stadium, where the team now plays, said he would try to block Red Bull's rights to use the stadium unless New Jersey was a part of the new name.

"Our lawyers are looking at this," Zoffinger said. "That is non-negotiable and I'm going to reach out to Hudson County to get them to stand with us. If they are getting public funding, they should use New Jersey's name."

Ellie Applen, a spokeswoman for Red Bull, said the company was "not aware of any such stipulations from New Jersey politicians, but we will look into it promptly."

Nick Sakiewicz, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which sold the team to Red Bull, said the team has always considered itself "for New York and New Jersey." Sakiewicz said, "That's an issue for the politicians to work out."

State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), whose district includes the Meadowlands, said the Jets and Giants at least have a history with New York that this team does not share.

"This is a new league and a new franchise, and we've got to be a little territorial here," Sarlo said. "To be called strictly a New York team is not acceptable."

Zoffinger may have his work cut out for him. Officials in Red Bull New York's planned home appear so eager for the stadium project to move ahead they won't let the team name stand in the way

"It's not an issue at all for us," said Peter Higgins, director of the Harrison Redevelopment Agency.

I have a problem with some statements in here - such as "To be strictly a New York team is not acceptable". Well I personally think that having NY a all in their name is completely unacceptable. How many teams which play in NY have New Jersey in their name? Is the Nets going to be the Brooklyn New Jersey Nets? Hell no!! New York would never stand for a team putting NJ in their name if they played in NY - so why the hell do NJ politicians have no problem with it? Are we so desperate that we have no self respect, no sense of pride? I say stand up for NJ for once and say NO to these damn teams putting NY in their names while we build them these stadiums and put in numerous infastructure improvements.

[JerseyDevil]

I love this article. Why do they refer to them as a Tri-State team? How many people from pennsylvania or Connecticut do you REALLY think came to their games?

Red Bull buys MetroStars, renames team
March 9, 2006

NEW YORK (Ticker) - The MetroStars never reached the championship game in their first 10 Major League Soccer seasons. Now their history is but a memory.

Energy-drink manufacturer Red Bull Company Limited purchased the MetroStars on Thursday from the Anschutz Entertainment Group and renamed the team "Red Bull New York," effective immediately.

In addition, Red Bull agreed to partner with AEG on the construction of the team's soccer-specific stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.

As part of the agreement, approved by the MLS Board of Governors on Thursday morning, Red Bull purchased naming rights to the new stadium. Red Bull will own half of the new stadium, with AEG responsible for constructing, managing and booking.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Daily News on Tuesday said the deal could reach at least $50 million.

"The addition of Red Bull into our group of owners is a landmark moment for Major League Soccer and for all Tri-State area soccer fans," MLS commissioner Don Garber said. "Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz brings international credibility and proven, innovative marketing expertise to Major League Soccer."

I also commented on the article - which they allow you to do.

[JerseyDevil]

This article really gets my blood boiling, with the sports writer barely acknowledging that the MetroStars were even a NJ team - but were basically ALWAYS associated with NY. I found this in the Seattle-Post

Bullish: Ladies and Gentleman, your 2006 Red Bull New York?
Josh Simeone, Sports Network Soccer Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - So long MetroStars, it seems we hardly knew you... You seemed like fun, an interesting mix of city identity set to the backdrop of black and red stripes.

You offered us with the idea of the fast paced, metro lifestyle found in New York City. When we thought of the name MetroStars, we envisioned New York, even though your fans had to trek to the Jersey turnpike to see you play.

But so what? The location didn't matter. It was your identity that we came to embrace. Your name represented your home town. For a while, you had us believing you could represent both New Jersey and New York, and when that changed, we accepted it.

And even though you never brought the fans a championship, and you rarely made it to a final game, you at least tried. You made some big signings in your day, remember the time you brought us Roberto Donadoni from Serie A, Italy's top division? How about when you executed the first three-player trade in league history, remember, you brought U.S. National star Alexi Lalas to the Tri-State area.

It wasn't all a pleasure cruise though, you had trouble with coaches, losing streaks and you always traded away some of the team's favorite players.

We got over that stuff, because overall, it was about the sport that we loved. And even though you lost to the New England Revolution in last year's playoffs, we were still looking forward to a bright and successful 2006 season.

But now, we don't even know who you are anymore. Suddenly, this energy drink has come into our lives, forcing us to say goodbye to the name we've come to love for nearly 10 years.

Yes, we're happy that you are moving on, and we're thrilled that Red Bull has pledged to help build a soccer-specific stadium, but some of us are worried that your identity will be lost forever. We're not sure how to chant for Red Bull New York (let's go Red Bull... New York, or something?)

But we're going to look for the positive in this change, because that's what we've done all along. We've gotten used to the fact you haven't been the best team in the league, and we've gotten over all the personnel changes. So with that in mind, we're ready to bid you farewell, MetroStars. We shall not meet again.

THEY LOOK TO YOU, RED BULL - WHY THIS IS A GOOD MOVE

Thursday morning was more than just a simple press release, it was a historic announcement for one of Major League Soccer's original teams. After months of speculation, Austrian-based Red Bull Company Limited officially made an appearance in America's soccer market.

The company, best known for its sports energy drink, announced it had finalized an agreement with Major League Soccer to take over the east coast club. The partnership allows Red Bull 50 percent ownership in the new stadium, as well as naming rights.

In addition to taking over, Red Bull also announced it would join Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the team's former investor-operator, to build a new soccer-specific stadium. The new venue would make Harrison, New Jersey its new home, forcing the club to say goodbye to its current home at Giants Stadium.

The deal also includes a brand new name, logo and jerseys for the team formerly known as the MetroStars. Red Bull New York has been deemed the club's new name, with a logo already released, which surely not by accident includes two bulls, much like the energy drink's logo.

Many aspects of this new deal are great for the MetroStars, a team that has consistently missed out on success in the league.

Perhaps the biggest and best part of the new ownership is the promise for a new stadium. Playing at Giants Stadium is no picnic for an MLS soccer club. The 80,242 seat complex is known throughout the sports market as one of the country's best venues, but it hasn't been great for soccer.

Playing home to both the New York Jets and New York Giants of the NFL, there is little room for scheduling additional events. This has been a league wide problem for MLS, as the regular season schedule seems to take a back seat to other league schedules. Not to mention the condition of the playing field, which must deteriorate after even a single NFL game.

For Major League Soccer, Giants Stadium is probably too big, and too hard to fill right now. Yes, soccer continues to gain momentum, but let's not go overboard. Too many empty seats can take its toll.

The new ownership also brings the opportunity for a fresh start. The MetroStars haven't necessarily had a negative past, but it hasn't been the best, with frequent coaching changes, and of course, a trophy case that is clearly missing a league cup.

Playing in brand new jerseys, a new name and logo may spur some excitement among the players and the fan base. If anything, sales on jerseys, soccer balls, caps and whatever else the team markets are sure to rise.

Red Bull New York could also benefit from the experience Red Bull has in the worldwide sports market. In addition to owning Austrian soccer club Red Bull Salzburg, Red Bull has also invested in Formula One racing and NASCAR.

"Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz brings international credibility and proven, innovative marketing expertise to Major League Soccer. His presence on the MLS Board of Governors provides another authentic, avid soccer fan to our diversifying set of investors," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said during Thursday's announcement.

The experience could help to improve the club's fan base and overall appeal, something that any MLS team would greatly benefit from.

ANYTHING BUT BULLISH - WHY THIS IS A BAD MOVE

Sure, there are plenty of good things about this deal, but what about the bad things? The negative effects this deal could have on Major League Soccer seem overshadowed, but they are there waiting to spoil every aspect of this new ownership.

While introducing a major sports drink company into the league will no doubt incorporate new marketing strategies and ideas, it also threatens to wash away a team's pride and identity.

Some fans may have raised their eyebrows over the name MetroStars, but at least it was an original name that was supposed to represent the hometown. Even the Houston Dynamo, which is the old Houston 1836, works better than Red Bull New York. Beyond the controversy surrounding the Houston name change, at least Dynamo was meant to have some relevance to Houston.

But Red Bull New York? This blatantly takes away from the home team pride. Who can honestly relate to Red Bull New York? One of the most important things about naming a sports franchise in any sport is the name of the team. A team name needs to be one that sells, and one that can relate to the hometown fans.

Even if a name is historical, at least it references the hometown to some degree. Take the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League for example. The team name references a historic event, the 1849 gold rush in California. The 76ers in the National Basketball Association reference the year 1776, when Philadelphia was the center of politics in the United States.

But with Red Bull New York, the only thing even remotely significant are the words New York, which are technically inaccurate, as the team plays in New Jersey. Even the logo has conveniently thrown out any hometown presence. Instead of a nice logo of buildings, or something that resembles a city skyline, or even a New York type theme, the new owner has decided to go with two bulls. If anything, the new logo has gone from one of personality, to one boasting an advertisement.

THE FUTURE OF COMPANY AND SPORT

Regardless of the positive and negative aspects the new Red Bull deal has to offer, one can't help but think of the future of some of the world's biggest companies and their relationship with the world of sports.

Thursday's Red Bull takeover isn't the first corporate move into sports and won't be the last. The world of business has held an interest in becoming a major player in the sports market for a long time.

Look around sports and you'll find stadium names that no longer represent the town they reside, but the company that has outbid all others for naming rights. Look inside some of the country's biggest venues and you'll notice that it's either Coke or Pepsi, Nike or Adidas, Verizon or Cingular.

Yes, businesses bring money to teams and allow for bigger and better stadiums but they also bring controversy. The final year of construction of the new Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado brought along an outcry from Denver fans after it was revealed that the new venue name would not include the words Mile High.

Fans became so upset that the name was changed to include Mile High, making it Invesco Field at Mile High. How about Coors Field just a few miles away, or the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver?

After Thursday's announcement, the naming rights have gone beyond just the stadiums. What's next, Dr. Scholl's Presents the Columbus Crew? Who's "gellin'" now?

It isn't just a name, it's something that represents a team and its home, and if Red Bull's takeover is to reveal any lesson, perhaps it's that corporate ownership may bring along a new stadium, but it might cost you your identity.

SO LONG METROSTARS

So with that, goodbye MetroStars. We shall miss your name, your colors and your logo. But now it's time to move on. So if you were a MetroStars fan, then take a deep breath and open a can of Red Bull, because it may be all you have for now.

[davegering]

The Ironic part is the stadium is being built farther away from NY in Harrison which is the soccor capital of NJ and about 5 minutes from where i live. The stadium was put there to draw in the NJ crown from Harrison and Kearny which are 2 big soccer towns . It was also put there because it is easier access fronm NJ transit. The 40 bus leaves from Penn station and goes right by the stadium and into North Arlington which is where I live. In it also walking distance from the Path Train station In Harrison. So the move the stadium to make it easy Access for Jersians(or is that Jersyites) and change the name to NY. I say get the hell out and take the Giants and Jets with you.


GO DEVILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NJPRIDE]

I am with DEVIL , boycott all redbull products until they take N.J.s name lets show the world you cant come to N.J. and disrespect us !

[JerseyDevil]

The Ironic part is the stadium is being built farther away from NY in Harrison which is the soccor capital of NJ and about 5 minutes from where i live. The stadium was put there to draw in the NJ crown from Harrison and Kearny which are 2 big soccer towns . It was also put there because it is easier access fronm NJ transit. The 40 bus leaves from Penn station and goes right by the stadium and into North Arlington which is where I live. In it also walking distance from the Path Train station In Harrison.

Well this area has a lot of immigrants - who probably don't care what is on the name. So how do we convince people who aren't born in NJ that they shouldn't support this team as long as it carries the NY name? Do you think this area will not go to see the Naw Yawk Red Bulls because they have that ridiculous NY on their uniforms?

So the move the stadium to make it easy Access for Jersians(or is that Jersyites) and change the name to NY.

Well it's actually New Jerseyan

I say get the hell out and take the Giants and Jets with you.


GO DEVILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I support you - we will only have one professional team in our state if the Nets leave - the Devils. I don't give a damn abotu any team which doesn't want to acknowledge their home state.

[NJPRIDE]

Actually we have a pro lacrosse team called the New Jersey Pride . In past years they have played home games in Montclair , and the Somerset Patriots ballpark . This year they will be playing home games at Yurcak Field at Rutgers . The league has about 10 teams in it this year across the country . You should put up a link for their website .

[JerseyDevil]

Actually we have a pro lacrosse team called the New Jersey Pride . In past years they have played home games in Montclair , and the Somerset Patriots ballpark . This year they will be playing home games at Yurcak Field at Rutgers . The league has about 10 teams in it this year across the country . You should put up a link for their website .

That is true and I do have the NJ Pride on the website, but they dont' get the coverage that the other teams get. We actually had TWO pro lacrosse teams - but the other one left for California.

[JerseyDevil]

Well both the Home News and the Star Ledger called - it seems that my letter will at least appear in those two papers. Those are the two big ones.

I am a little upset that some politicians, while saying they are against the name change, don't wish to push TOO hard on the Red Bulls, because they don't want to lose the money for Harrison. What I asked them was how much is New Jersey worth? Why don't we just sell the state to NY - then we can solve our budger deficit. It seems with some politicians, as long as the money is high enough - we'll lie there and let them kick us.

[A-Line]

It's just like with the Giants and Jets -- our elected officials are afraid to insist on them using our name. These are the people who are supposed to be representing us. It's sickening. They need to hear from the people that they are letting us down.

[NJPRIDE]

A-Line you must call your elected officials and let them know how you feel . If you dont they can only assume eveything is ok . Some of us have already made calls . We are not second fiddle to anyone . I let them know I was against the metros not using N.J. in their name and I also told them I did not support $30 million dollars of taxpayer money to help the giants and jets for their new stadium if they dont take N.J.s name .